


Exiled from a Clan of two

by alumort



Series: Main Branch Neji [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Basically, Gen, as always, background kakagai, lee is kicked out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27686456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alumort/pseuds/alumort
Summary: "He was a strong, fine shinobi; a Jonin. Not a recently graduated genin, he couldn't just fall in tears with a minor inconvenience, he had to be strong."
Series: Main Branch Neji [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850017
Kudos: 5





	Exiled from a Clan of two

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for the angst RIP, i promise next one is cute af :p  
> this is for rock lee week over tumblr, prompt "any AU"; i had this one laying around for some months so the style is a bit off, edited it a bit tho.  
> hope u enjoy!

It was a cold night. The sound of rustling leaves was deafening, accompanied with occasional thunders. A small shack in the edge of Konoha was filled with noise almost as loud, of anger and pain. The younger inhabitant of the makeshift house feared that it would shake and break, with all the screams and plates thrown.

"Mother, please listen!" he pleaded for the... fifth? Eleventh? Time, in the span of ten minutes. His dark green eyes were threatening to drop tears, his nose red. "Why are you so angry? Could you please explain?"

"You. Will. Leave!" the woman hissed, a frown in her face and a knife in her hands. "You're an adult now, with a job! You don't need me anymore!"

"That is...!"

Lee wanted to argue. That he was too young even if he surpassed the 18 years of life by a day, even if his hands had been forced to kill on multiple times, with a kunai or with his bandaged fists. But the words didn't want to leave his throat. He could count with one hand the hugs his parent had given him in his life, the warm meals they shared and she sat and taught him how to prepare, time spent together reduced to spaced weeks every year, half of them resulting in discussions and crying.

"Take your things and leave, Rock!" the gray haired woman exclaimed, her voice still as loud as the thunders coming from the sky. "And do  _ not _ return."

The shinobi ran to his closet, grabbing a bag and all the clothes that entered on it, wallet already there from the trip of the previous day. He slowly approached the table, where his bracelet was, and let it in his right wrist, under the cold stare of his progenitor. Her eyes were cloudy, hands shaking with the blade on them, arm muscles revealing that she planned to strike in any moment; that's when he ran away, in the dark, with a knife barely missing his chest.

Touching the bracelet from his wrist was normally enough to distract him from his mother's episodes but that night was the exception. He didn't know where he was going to stay, seeing only one inn open during the storm  _ (It was not a guarantee there would be any space left. He had to pray to the spirits and gods, if they existed, for it to be true). _

Entering all soaked and out of air revealed to the owner notice how agitated he was, a worry so deep that she allowed him to sleep in a spare couch. She didn't even ask for him to pay, that's how wrecked he must've been; seeing his face often due to his mother's decaying mental health through the years must be another reason behind that, though Lee was too tired to think of it in that way.

~

He woke up with the sun, as he always did. At first, the boy didn't know where he was, slowly remembering what happened in the night thanks to the smell of breakfast being cooked in the edifice.

The owner of the inn nodded as she noticed him stirring up, offering him a plate of rice in silence; she didn't ask any question. Lee couldn't remember having heard her talk during his spontaneous stays through the years, just a quiet welcome and a comfortable place to rest on.

"Thank you, miss..." he said, his words followed by a sigh. The lady placed a hand in his shoulder, giving him a smile accompanied with a nod, and left to give the rest of the people there their breakfast.

He ate slowly, wondering why his mother had reacted like that the day before. She used to get mad out of sudden, but... she never threatened him with a knife. She never hit him. She just  _ shouted _ , never hurt him. 

"I will go now, miss" he announced to the inn owner when he finished eating, and the woman walked to his side to open the door. "I, uh... do you know anywhere I could stay for now?"

She stopped to think for a second, nodding, and then went to search for paper and pen. Wrote something on it, and placed a hand in his shoulder again; she must've heard the shouting, based on her worried stare.

"I'm going to be fine", Lee added, smiling at her. His lips trembled. "I'm a Jonin, ma'am. Maybe I ranked up last month, but- I still am. I'm a ninja. I'll be okay."

His tone was softer than usual. His grin didn't reach his eyes. 

And the inn owner noticed it, but no words came out from her mute throat as she saw the child go away. To where, she didn't know with certainty; only time and the rumors of the wind would tell her if the young boy was safe, away from his mother's wrath.

~

Lee could recognize the street he was walking on, searching for the directions written in the paper. It was too early in the morning to picture out why the place seemed familiar, why there were so many departments... He was near the Village Gates, but not too close as to call it  _ 'the edge' _ of the location. There were lots of buildings, with shinobi going out of them, some giving him acknowledgement nods.

He realized it was where most no-Clan ninja lived, recognizing his mentor's garden with all the flowers he grew. The boy couldn't force himself to look at him when he found him standing outside, cutting withered leaves from some plants with Kakashi watering the ones that weren't under his care at the moment. Lee didn't want to admit it, but he felt ashamed of not being there as a visitor; rather, he was searching for the landperson, wherever they were.

"Oh, that's your boy," he heard the gray haired man say, his tone hinting curiosity even if he sounded as tired as he usually was. "Hello, Lee."

"Good morning, my youthful student!" Gai exclaimed, a big smile decorating his face. He always managed to be positive, even if everything was dark and they were injured in the missions. Gai always smiled, somehow; that made him the strongest man Lee knew.

"Good morning," the boy replied, not being able to act animated. He felt worse when he saw they noticed only based on his voice, even if no word was pronounced at the moment.

"How's everything going? Today is our day off, and resting is just as important as training!" his mentor commented, getting up and walking towards him. He noticed something was off quickly, and acted accordingly. "Do you want to come inside? We can have some tea."

"That's... I have to decline, Gai," Lee muttered, looking at the ground. He inhaled deeply before continuing. "I'm searching for a home. I was wondering if, um... a lady gave me these directions, but I-"

"What happened?" Gai asked him, his gaze softening. It was then that the boy noticed that his mentor's voice wasn't as loud as it always was."Do you need to stay here for a while?"

"Um... No, thank you," the boy replied, denying with his head. His shoulders were tense, with the weight of the bag feeling the double of what it was. "I can't always depend on other people. I just... want to talk with the landperson. Rent an apartment."

Both men kept quiet at that, and his mentor simply extended his arms in his direction. Lee frowned, still not looking at him. He accepted the hug instead, closing his eyes in his arms, biting his lower lip to not cry. He was a strong, fine shinobi; a  _ Jonin _ . Not a recently graduated genin, he couldn't just fall in tears with a minor inconvenience, he had to be  _ strong _ .

Strong like Gai. Like Kakashi. Like Neji. Cover his feelings, because a good shinobi doesn't cry. 

Yet his mentor was embracing him, quietly waiting until he felt better, like when he was young and nobody but his boyfriend believed that he would be a ninja with taijutsu alone. 

**Author's Note:**

> comments make my heart beat


End file.
